Will Blog for Experience: Ashley

I'm a student blogger for Experience.com and if my blog gets the most readers out of these 5 blogs I will be going to Washington, D.C. for a job shadow at the Department of Energy, courtesy of CBCampus. Experience is a career site specifically for college students & alumni. They provide extraordinary job opportunities, real-world insights, and a network of inspirational role-models to help students explore and launch careers they love. Keep reading my blog if you want me to lead this challenge!

Experience, Inc.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

A Warm Southern Welcome

Welcome! My name is Ashley, and thank you for visiting my blog. Before I begin rambling about the impending energy crisis and outrageous gas prices, let me introduce myself.
  • I am a senior at the University of Arkansas with a Major in Communication and a Minor in Legal Studies.
  • I am a member of the Chi Omega fraternity, and I am also involved in a variety of other campus organizations.
  • I am the President of the University of Arkansas’ chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and I serve on both the University of Arkansas’ Associated Student Government Judiciary and All University Judicial Board.
  • I am from Houston, Texas.
  • I am an Arkansas Razorback.

    By now, you might be asking yourself, “So, what’s this blog about anyway?”

    I entered this contest to win a job shadow with the United States Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. Here's how it works: I will be blogging on the energy topic until January 2nd, and if I have more readers than the other bloggers, I win!

I want this job shadow because:

A job shadow with the United States Department of Energy is a once in a lifetime experience. This opportunity is also a dream come true for every student interested in politics and the future of our country. Not only is this experience a great opportunity, but it would also put my education into practice. Having studied both Communication and Legal Studies, I realize that the two areas are intertwined, and one can not be successful without the other. Communication works much like a master key, in that it can unlock nearly any dispute. Likewise, I feel that any political issue, no matter how difficult, can be solved (or at least alleviated) through effective communication between constituents and their elected representation.

I am interested in learning more about advancing the national, economic, and energy security of the United States because this is a problem that affects us all. This problem has been worsening for several years, and thus far, we have no reason to believe that an end is in sight. The breadth of this problem affects the current generation, and it will expand to all of those who follow. After watching gas prices jump to unthinkable highs this past summer, I hope that my generation will join the fight. We must embrace our power to impact the future of this country. We must use our enthusiasm and our talents to ensure that the energy problem is attacked. Our determination is essential in this fight.

Our generation offers diverse, vast resources for fresh ideas, and for this reason, it is very important that we explore the possibilities of energy science. Unfortunately, many young Americans let their inexperience with this challenging topic hold them back. A common misconception held by many is that without a major in Petroleum Engineering, you offer little insight on the subject. This idea could not be further from the truth. This discussion involves us all, and therefore, every creative mind has a seat at the table.

Anyone with the communicative ability to talk about the energy issues faced by his/her community has a great service to offer. If we look at history, many great American men and women seemed unlikely leaders. Their lack of insider status did not hinder their progress, but rather, it guided them past the obstacles faced by “experts” who could only spin their own wheels. My faith in such unlikely heroes stems from my experience working with United States Congressman John Boozman. Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, John Boozman originally worked as a rancher and an optometrist. To many, a career in politics could not have seemed further away. However, John Boozman used his seemingly “humble” ambitions to serve his constituents. Interning in Congressman John Boozman’s Fayetteville office taught me the value of the constituent voice. His ability to lead with integrity while representing the many needs of Arkansas residents inspired me to pursue my own political aspirations. I hope to attend law school this upcoming fall and parlay my own life experiences into a political career of innovative service and contribution.


Dr. John Boozman
Courtesy: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The energy topic affects every American, and while I may not reside on the Secretary of Energy’s top committee, I do have thoughts on the subject. I am a constituent of the Unites States of America, and thanks to Experience.com, my unique voice will also be heard.

Over the next few weeks I plan to use this blog to discuss the United States government and its energy policy. I will try to pinpoint the practices that have led up to our current state of affairs and the greatest challenges faced by our country. Finally, I will discuss the many options available for energy reform.

Thank you for reading my blog, and I hope that you come back soon. Please feel free to comment on my posts, as my knowledge on the subject will only be strengthened from your feedback.

-Ashley

“America must have an energy policy that plans for the future, but meets the needs of today.” -George W. Bush






24 Comments:

  • At 6:27 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Ashley, Hope all turns out well. Good luck. I have a quick question: How much will BioDiesel help the petroleum market? I've seen that alot of cars can now run off of BioDiesel, but I don't know what kind of affect it might have on the market. Thanks for the help.

     
  • At 7:45 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Good Luck!

     
  • At 11:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    do you have a pic?

     
  • At 1:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Ashley... I know that you WILL do GREAT!!!

     
  • At 3:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Awesome!

     
  • At 12:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    You are the best! And i have all of my aggie friends gettin' on too! You are gonna win! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

     
  • At 8:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Do you feel that the American people will willingly accept a national energy policy that actually addresses the major realities of the geopolitical economic conundrum that is global energy supply? Are americans really going to drive less or stop being so mindlessly wasteful of energy? Has anyone's energy policy in the US even grappled with the larger questions? Or do we just pay lipservice to the subject while our servicemen and women lose their lives defending our interests elsewhere?

     
  • At 1:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    pretty splendid. I'll keep checking back.

     
  • At 11:35 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Nice going! You represent The National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the University of Arkansas so very well and we are all proud of you for making a difference.
    Keep up the good work!
    Tom

     
  • At 5:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I am an energy/regulartory attorney in Washington, D.C. I found your blog to be both informative and insightful. Best of luck! The Department of Energy would be lucky to have you.

     
  • At 1:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    This is very insightful. Regarding national energy policy, a preferrable approach is long-term heavy investment in alternative (non-petrol) energy sources, particularly if they can be produced domestically in the United States. Oil dependency (or any type of dependency) should be avoided through innovative approaches. Automobile and fuel corporations have already taken some of the initiative to follow this path. Let's work on a way to perpetuate and increase the switch to cleaner, more affordable energy.

     
  • At 2:16 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Ashley, you have always impressed me. Good luck. I couldn't think of a more deserving person for that position than you.

    Your old classmate,
    Nathan j

     
  • At 9:01 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Best of luck Ashley! We ar erooting for you in Houston!

     
  • At 7:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Good luck! I'll keep cheacking back for more.

     
  • At 8:05 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Your blog is great! Best of luck!

     
  • At 8:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    ASHLEY, I ADMIRE YOUR ASPIRATIONS AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU, MARGARET COOK

     
  • At 1:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    ashley,

    good work and good luck!it's great seeing a "sister" do so well!

    bonnie

     
  • At 8:04 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Well done, Ashley! I'm reading your blogs with great interest.

     
  • At 10:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    What is your perspective on the use of nuclear energy?

     
  • At 5:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Ashley: Best of luck. Looking forward to you're being in Washington D.C. Your Dad and I roomed together in the Kappa Sigma House, while at the University of Arkansas, ans I met you when you attended the Kappa Sig Reunion, in Fayetteville, thre years ago. Hope ou make it. Dr. Eddie McCarty, Helena, Arkansas

     
  • At 12:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Your are right!

    Good Luck!

     
  • At 6:27 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The United States needs to focus on lowering in energy needs, not finding alternative energy sources. My proposal, increase taxes on gasoline at the pump by a dollar per gallon. With the additional tax revenues from doing this, we can invest heavily in public transportation, and even make it free. If public transportation was free, fast, reliable, and an overall pleasant experience, more people would take it and our needs for oil would be reduced, not to mention our Greenhouse Gas emissions, which is a more serious problem we are facing. Other effects of more people using public transportation would include things like less traffic on our roads, safer roads, less DUIs, and reduced insurance rates.

     
  • At 11:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The United States needs to focus on lowering its energy needs, not finding alternative energy sources. My proposal, increase taxes on gasoline at the pump by a dollar per gallon. With the additional tax revenues from doing this, we can invest heavily in public transportation, and even make it free. If public transportation was free, fast, reliable, and an overall pleasant experience, more people would take it and our needs for oil would be reduced, not to mention our Greenhouse Gas emissions, which is a more serious problem we are facing. Other effects of more people using public transportation would include things like less traffic on our roads, safer roads, less DUIs, and reduced insurance rates.

     
  • At 6:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    In response to David Stevens' post:
    I think that your ideas sound wonderful, but that they are impossible to implement. Many people will find the resources to pay any additional tax at the pump rather than use public transportation. Americans are wedded to their autos. Further, the geographic and population demographics of the US are so varied that a uniform approach to the energy crisis is not realistic. Take the small, rural communities of Arkansas v. the metropolitan areas of large cities-What works for New York City is not going to work for Piggott, AR (Yes, there is such a place).
    That is the problem with lots of idealistic solutions; in theory they are brilliant, but in practice these simplistic solutions fall short. See my final post for more on this.

     

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